Caterpillar pressure varies across southern Florida, according to the South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline.
Overall worm pressure varies from low to high in southwest Florida. It mostly depends on location, crop and date of planting. Scouts indicate that sweet corn fields experienced low to moderate, but constant pressure from fall armyworm on young and silking corn. Beet armyworm laid eggs on silks, while cabbage looper, hornworm, southern armyworm, tomato fruitworms and melonworm were observed as well.
In the Everglades Agricultural Area, low to moderate worm pressure was reported in lettuce field, mostly due to cabbage loopers and armyworms. Sporadic populations of loopers were also seen in snap bean fields.
As for the east coast, scouts indicate rising worm pressure in all crops, including beet armyworm, fall armyworm, southern armyworm, yellow-striped armyworm, melonworm and tomato fruitworm/corn earworm.
According to UF/IFAS, vegetable growers must scout to detect worms before they can inflict significant damage. The Florida Tomato Scouting Guide indicates a pre-bloom threshold of one larva/six plants and post-bloom threshold of one egg mass or larva/field.
Growers have a wide array of strong insecticides at their disposal.
Consult the UF/IFAS Vegetable Production Handbook for labeled products.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/CV/CV29200.pdf